Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Discounting the brief media attention brought on by the success of The Artist, it’s only a matter of time before classics of the silent era become irrelevant to all but the most studious of film historians. Luckily, that’s exactly whom Kino Classics caters to with their blu-ray release of 1920’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which includes not only the John Barrymore film, but a 15-minute segment of the rival version produced by Louis B. Mayer, and the complete one-reel version of the story filmed in 1912.

All of them are a bit rough around the edges compared to later adaptations like the Spencer Tracey / Ingrid Bergman version from 1941, but Barrymore’s performance as both the uptight Jekyll and monstrous Hyde drew accolades at the time of its release. The impact of that performance has obviously lessened with the passing of time, with the actor’s “transformation” consisting of little more than jerks and spasms that bear an uncanny resemblance to Martin Short.

That said, for its era Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has moments of timeless cinematic power. Barrymore’s make-up appliances used to create his Hyde persona are still quite effective, including a pronounced egg-shaped skull plugged with greasy wisps of hair and extended claw-like fingers. The actor’s bone structure is amplified to such a degree that he becomes almost unrecognizable.

Based mostly on the Richard Mansfield stage adaptation from 1897, this version hits most of the plot points from Robert Louis Stevenson’s story with Jekyll successfully separating his savage, lustful personality from his usual conservative, Victorian persona. The doctor has two love interests like flip sides of a coin; one pure and innocent, the other sexual and wild. While the 1941 film made the most of this social dichotomy, the 1920 version is less judgmental, blaming science for Jekyll’s moral deviance.

In addition to the aforementioned extras, the disc includes a 25-minute Stan Laurel parody, Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride and a rare 1909 audio recording of the transformation scene. As for the video quality itself, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is about a rough as you might expect a film from its era to look. But effective color tinting and enhanced clarity make it an easy recommendation for those interested in collecting cinema’s great early achievements.